A Case Study of Racial Diversity in Multicultural School Environment

Abstract

This paper held and understand perspectives by a diverse group of people in a multicultural school environment in Malaysia. It examined the understanding and attitudes towards, cultural diversity of school administrators, teachers and students in a specific school environment. The study drew on literature in the field of multiculturalism, and used a qualitative case study approach employing an interviews. The paper also examined the concept of cultural diversity as a social phenomenon and links current understanding of the phenomenon to that of the people involved, explaining how and why they think, respond and react the way they do. A national primary school was chosen for the case study. In Malaysia, the government has embarked on an ambitious program to promote national primary schools as 'a school of choice' in attempt to promote 'unity in diversity'. School administrators, teachers, and students of this particular type of school were interviewed and the data analysed. The research revealed that general perceived and accepted condition by the school administrators, teachers and students is racially diverse; they were aware of the racial diversity breadth within the school which referred to the Malays, Chinese, Indians and others as remarks for cultural diversity and racial diversity.